Ice-making machine



March 26, 1946. Y

w. P GRUNER ICE-MAKING MACHINE Filed Aug. 30, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.L.

mmvroR. WILUAM P. GRUNER Y March 26, 1946. w. P. GRUNER 2,397,

ICE-MAKING MAC HINE Filed Aug. so, 1945 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. WILLIAM R GRUNER A T TQ/PA/EY March 26, 1946. w. P. GRUNERY ICE-MAKING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fi led Aug. 50, 1945 FIG.6.

INVENTOR. WILLIAM P. G RUNER A T roe'yav of its intended functions.

Patented Mar. 26, 1946 William P. Gruner, St. Louis, Mo., assignor of one-fourth to Oliver R. Burkhart, Webster Groves, Mo., one-fourth to Walter H. Burkhart and one-fourth to Hilbert W. Hagnauer,

both of Ladue, M0.

Application August 30, 1943, Serial lilo. 500,481

1 Claim.

,This invention relates generally to ice-making machines and, more particularly, to a certain new and useful improvement in ice-making machines for enabling the removal of the ice from the ma-.

My invention has for a further object the provision of a machine of the type and for the purpose stated which is simple and durable in structure, which may be economically constructed and operated, and which is efiicient in the performance And with the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings (three sheets) Figure 1 is an elevational view of an ice-makin machine constructed in accordance with and em- I of the machine taken approximately on the line 6-6, Figure 2; and

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the machine, illustrating co-operable parts as in an ice-breaking operation.

Referring now more in detail and by reference characters to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, the ice-making portion of the present machine is substantially similar in structure and operation to the apparatus illustrated and described in Letters Patent No. 2,267,568, issued on December 23, 1941, to

George M. Kleucker for Fluid cooling apparatus,

is an enlarged transverse sectional and method, and to such Letters Patent reference is respectfully made.

Briefly now described, the present machine in cludes a preferably cylindrical shell I, suitably joined to which at its upper and lower ends are suitably shaped closure or tube-sheets 2 and 3. respectively. Upper tube-sheet 2 preferably marginally projects outwardly beyond the periphery of the shell I in the provision of an attachment flange, as at 2, upon which isrested, and to which is suitably joined, the lower margin of a preferably annular wall 4, suitably fixed or joined to which at its upper margin, is an annular sheet 5 forming with walls 2 and 4 a water chamber, as at A, and into which leads from any suitable source of water supply an inlet or supply pipe 6.

The lower tube-sheet 3 is also preferably marginally extended outwardly, as at 3, beyond the perimeter of the shell I and forms substantially the top wall of an ice-breaking or chipping chamber B,presently fully described.

Welded or otherwise fixed in, and extending transversely across, the shell I, is an intermediate tube-sheet l spaced a relatively short distance .short distance upwardlyfrom the lower tubesheet 3 in the provision of a warm water or socalled defrosting chamber D.

Leading into the chamber C from a suitable source of liquid refrigerant supply, is an intake or supply pipe 9, and also leading into the chamber C and having communication with a pipe in leading from a compressor or other suitable source of hot gas or fluid supply, not shown, is a second intake or supply pipe Ill The spaced intermediate tube-sheets I and 8 further provide, within the shell I, a so-called middle chamber E, and leading into the shell chamber E and having supply-communication with the hot gas or fluid, line H), is a second inlet or supply p pe H, while leading from, and

poses presently appearing, equipped with a suit able cut-off solenoid'or other fluid-flow controlvalve l9.

Communicating the chamber D with a suitable source of warm or hot water supp y. not shown, is an inlet or supply pipe 'll also suitably equipped with a solenoid or other fluid-flow control-valve l8, and communicating the chamber D with any suitable water drain basin or the ,like, is an exhaust or discharge pipe I9.

Mounted in the shell I andsuitably fixed in and extending through both the end walls 2, 3, and the intermediate walls I, 8, is a plurality of longitudinal heat exchange tubes 20 each opening at its lower end into the chamber 3 and each at its upper end being equipped with a closure-disk 2i suitably apertured for accommodating and seating tube-extensions 22,'each at its chamber C and the flow or discharge of water through the pipe t into the chamber A are discontinued, being respectively automatically controlled by means of the pipe-line valve l9 and the pump 49, whereupon hot gas or fluid is per- 'mitted to flowthrough the lines or pipes l9, I.

lower end being flared outwardly. s at 22*; for

engaging the inner face of the respective tubes and provided intermediate its ends and above the closure-members 2| with an annular series of inlet openings, a at 22 for enabling thewater supplied into the chamber A to flow substantially in the formof a tube downwardly within the respective fixed ice-forming tubes 29.

Annularly about each of the tubes 20, the intermediate tube-sheet 'l'is formed with a series of apertures 23 opening downwardly upon a frusto-conical distributor ring or the like 24 having a laterally extending flange 25 welded or otherwise fl-xed flatwise to and upon the under face of the intermediate tube-sheet 1. Each rin 24 has a tube accommodating aperture, as at 26,

of slightly greater diameter than the diameter of the particular tube 29 with which it is associated, thereby providing thereabout a narrow annular gap 21, all as best seen in Figure 6 and for' purposes presently fully appearing.

It may be here stated that the liquid refrigerant, which, with the surrounding structure, is

of a type for effecting freezing temperature in and adheres in such freezing condition to the inner face of the respective tubes 20. Any excess refrigerant collects upon the lower tube-sheet 3 and is drawn out through the pipe l2 and recirculated by the recirculation pump it to the refrigerant intake pipe 9, any evaporated liquid refrigerant being compensated for by new or fresh liquid refrigerant flowing or discharging into th tank l3 through a pipe 28 leading from a. suitable source of refrigerant supply, not shown.

As diagrammatically indicated in Figure 1, the separator or tank i3 has communication by means of a pipe-line 46 with the suction side of a compressor, not shown, of a conventional refrigerator system, the line 46 being equipped with a suitable solenoid-valve 41 for controlling refrigerant back-pressure in the system during the freezing and defrosting cycles.

Surplus water from tubes 20 accumulate in chamber B, which has communication by means ofca pipe 48 with the intake side of a suitable pump 49 having communication, in turn, on its discharge side with the pipe 6 through a connectand l I into the shell-chambers C and E and warm or hot water is permitted to flow into the chamber D through the pipe ll, such admitted hot fluids then functioning in defrosting the tubes 29 and thereby releasing the ice-tubes or rods '1 from adherence to the inner face of the respective walls thereof, when the frozen tubes or rods '1', as indicated in Figure 7, fall by gravity outwardly and downwardly from the tubes 20.

I may here add that, in turn, following a sumcient defrosting interval and release of the icetubes or rods T, the flow of warm water and hot gas are automatically broken or discontinued by means of the control-valve I 8 in pipe I1 and a like valve 30 in supply-pipe II], when the control i6 and water pump 49 automatically operate to permit refrigerant and water to again flow or discharge into the chambers C and A through the respective inlet or supply pipes 8 and 6. .Thus the machine alternately freezes the inflowine waterinto the form of ice-tubes or rods T and then defrosts the tubes 20 for discharge of the ice-tubes T from and through the respective lower open ends thereof into the chamber B. As shown, the shell I is provided with a suitable opening or outlet, as at 53, for venting any air within the chamber D for facilitating and augmenting defrosting. 0

Associated with the wall 3 in the formation of the chamber B, are side walls 3|, 3|, and a bottom wall 32, the one side wall 3| being so shaped and also associated with top and side wall sections 33 and 34, respectively, in the formation of a support or table for a prime mover F.

E designates what may well be termed an icetube or rod breaker, which includes a grid e of rectangular or other suitable contour, projecting from one outer or end wall 35 of which are spaced rigid arms 36 having a bearing for grid-reciprocation in brackets 31 depending from a top wall extension 3', and projecting from the opposite outer or end wall 39 of which is a, pitman or connecting-rod 39 having support for grid-reciprocation in a bearing 40 provided in wall-section 34, the pitman 39 at its free outer end having eccentric connection, as at 4!, with the prime-mover F, as best seen in Figure 6.

Connecting the grid end-walls 35, 38, are sid walls 42, 42, and forming part of the grid e and disposed in suitably spaced relation between the end-walls 35, 38, and fixed to the side walls 42, are strips 43, depending from which and also from the rear end wall 35 in spaced relation transversely of the grid, are arcuate fingers E4. the grid e being so normally registrably disposed with respect to the lower ends of the tubes 20, as seen in Figure 4, that the ice-tubes T, in a, defrosting interval, will drop or descend through the spaces provided for the purpose intermediate the strips 53. In such downward travel and during the intermittent periods of defrosting, the respective tubes '1' are, on reciprocation of the grid 2, en-

exceedingly efiicient in the performance of its 10 intended functions, and it is to be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the machine may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my inventlon.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: In an ice-making machine having a plurality of substantially vertical ice-freezing tubes of the character described, a breaker grid comprising a rectangular reciprocatory frame having a plurality of spaced parallel bars provided with a plurality of downwardly and inwardly deflected fingers, each of such fingers being associated with and disposed beneath one of the tubes for engagement with and deflection of the lower end of the ice tube as it is discharged from the freezing tube whereby to deflectionally stress the ice tube and cause shattering and breakage thereof. WILLIAM 1?. GRUNER. 

